Michael Wood
(Fr Michael) sets out the stall for the St Eanswythe Mission and the attractions
of a Orthodox style of ordinariate

Readers occasionally ask us why we do not show
more interest in the Orthodox Church, why we do not give greater weight to its
claims as a possible haven for disenchanted Anglicans, and why we always turn to
the Roman Catholic Church.

The brief historical answer is that we are
part of the Western Church, and this is the branch from which we grew or were
cut (depending upon one’s perspective). The brief cultural reply is that if
you seek to be distant, mysterious, impenetrable and untranslatable, you really
should not be surprised if people take you to be exactly that.

Such peremptory neglect may, however, be
culpable; so it was with a certain interest that we responded to this carefully
thought-out approach to match the Pope’s offer. Readers who are interested
will find what they need at the website below; others will at least be
interested to know that it is happening.

An interesting
development growing steadily in recent years is the Western Rite within the
Orthodox Church. This now has a small, but growing presence in England, and is
already established in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA and the
Philippines.

After the Great Schism between Rome and the
rest of the Church, the Western Rite persisted in the Orthodox Church in
Jerusalem, Constantinople and Mount Athos, for two hundred years, after which it
ceased to be present – having been in the Church for about twelve hundred
years. The Synod of the Church of Russia re-authorized the Western Rite for use
in England in 1870 and again in 1907 with a report requested by Archbishop
Tikhon (Belavin) (later Patriarch of Moscow, canonized as Saint Tikhon)
authorizing the adaptation of the services from the Book of Common Prayer.

In 1958 the Synod of the Church of Antioch
followed the Russian Synod and authorized the Western Rite with a Western Rite
Vicariate in the USA. This has grown quite well in recent times receiving
Episcopalian, Continuing Anglican and Charismatic Episcopal parishes, including
recently Bishop Robert Waggener – a Continuing Anglican bishop, now an
Orthodox Priest.

Its own prayer book

Today we have the St Colman Prayer Book which
is based on Sarum/1549 (similar to 1928–English Missal-ish). This includes the
Liturgies of Sarum, St Gregory (Roman, pre-Trent) and the English Liturgy (‘Anglican’),
along with Mattins, Evensong, and all the normal occasional services.

The Western Rite is under the personal control
of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR),
Archbishop Hilarion, who, with Bishop Jerome and Bishop Peter, generally handles
Western Rite matters.

ROCOR has Western Rite parishes/missions in
Australia, Canada, the USA, England and the Philippines and three Western Rite
monasteries. Archbishop Hilarion divides his time between Sydney, where he is
the Archbishop, and New York, the location of the Synod headquarters. He is a
Canadian born and bred who was educated both in Canada and the US, and is a
strong supporter of the Western Rite within Orthodoxy. In England in November
last year, he authorized me to set up officially our Western Rite Missions.

ROCOR is the most conservative in all
Orthodoxy, which makes it attractive to those disillusioned with their present
churches. We have the St Eanswythe Mission as a sort of umbrella for England –
with the St Nectan Branch. We may have missions in Yorkshire and Ireland in the
fairly near future, as well as London.

Reasons why

The advantages to joining us are:

They would be joining the Church –
the original Church that was actually founded by Christ and has remained
continuously ever since. It is the second largest group of Christians in the
world – about five times as large as the whole Anglican Communion – and has
Orders that are questioned by no one and whose doctrine, ecclesiology and
morality has been fully settled for two thousand years.

It is a well-established thing, with the
strong support and prayers of His Eminence Archbishop Hilarion – therefore the
option is available immediately. It does not require special organizations to be
set up. In England the organization already exists.

The Orthodox Church normally has married clergy.

The process of becoming Orthodox (either as
individuals or groups) in this country is a matter for myself and Archbishop
Hilarion. No one else is involved, so it is quick and simple.

Most Catholic Anglicans already hold much of
the Orthodox faith and can easily learn/adapt to the rest.

Quasi-Anglican

The Orthodox ecclesiastical organization is
much more like the classical CofE organization than is the Roman Catholic, in
that we have no pope; rather, Christ is the Head of the Orthodox Church. Each
diocese has a ruling bishop assisted by his clergy synod, and is a constituent
of a Province with a Metropolitan Archbishop. ROCOR is attached to the Russian
Orthodox Church Inside of Russia (although autonomous) and therefore has
Patriarch Kyrill as its Patriarch, who has influence but very little power
outside of his own diocese.